FA: No rift over Rooney injury

The Football Association insist there is no club-versus-country rift over the decision about whether Wayne Rooney will go to the World Cup.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has said the club will have the final say on whether their striker goes to Germany, after England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he would give the 20-year-old “every chance” to recover from a broken metatarsal.

That has been interpreted in some quarters as meaning there could be conflict between United and the England camp.

But an FA spokesman said: “There is no rift whatsoever. We are communicating very regularly there has been very good communication between Sir Alex and Sven.

“We are working together on what is best for Wayne and Manchester United and England.”

Rooney is Eriksson’s most important player but United do not want to take any risks with the long-term fitness of their player after he suffered a broken metatarsal bone in his right foot during the 3-0 defeat at Chelsea last Saturday.

United’s medical staff are in charge of Rooney’s treatment but England team doctors are liaising with them.

FIFA has told England they can wait until June 9 to replace Rooney because under their rules if a player failed to recover from injury a stand-in can take his place up to 24 hours before their first match.

A FIFA spokesman said: “We have sent a circular out to all the teams and so long as the injury is judged to be bona fide with a medical certificate the player can be replaced up to 24 hours before their first match.

“An injured player can only be replaced if the FIFA sports medical committee has verified the injury or illness on the basis of a medical certificate issued by the team doctor responsible.”